America's Favorite Pastime: Victimhood

Before we start condemning Brian Williams, let’s look at ourselves.

Whether NBC News fires or demotes Williams, I don’t care.  It is their business.  Frankly, ratings will decide his fate.  If people stop watching NBC News and advertisers stop advertising, then Williams will probably be a talk show host and not a news anchor anymore.

But the Brian Williams story goes deeper into our media, our politics, and our culture.  And it is – well – kind of embarrassing.

It’s called Victimhood.

And we all do it.

Brian Williams portrayed himself as a victim.  He told us that he was in a chopper that was under fire in a war zone.  Why?  It made him look good.  He wasn’t just a talking head sitting behind the desk.  He was a reporter in the field.  Trust me, every news anchor wants to prove that.  Every news anchor doesn’t want to look like Ted Baxter or Ron Burgundy.

Haven’t we all done that at some point?  I am sure I have.  But I just don’t remember at the moment

We want to be thought of as someone who is heroic or who has done good – for people. 

Is Brian Williams victimhood horrible?  Maybe not.  He was doing his job in some respects.  He was making himself look good for ratings.  I am not saying that is right.  He should be more in-tune to the truth.  But he’s making 10-million a year to keep that image.

The worst faux victims are people like al Qaeda and ISIS and other extremists.  Osama bin Laden felt victimized – and he used it.  ISIS feels the world is a horrible place because there is no caliphate.  Really?  No, they want the power -- they can’t have -- because the mullahs in Iran and the royal family in Saudi Arabia have it.